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Erie council pauses neighborhood plan at Village at Coal Creek; directs feasibility work on open space and housing options
Summary
After lengthy discussion of funding, ARPA restrictions and community priorities, Erie council directed staff to proceed with a limited Dig Studios scope to establish open-space/trails boundaries and complete a parks-facility feasibility study while pausing neighborhood/housing design; staff were asked to report back on legal/financial implications, alternative sites, and policy options including stipend/down-payment pilots.
At a study session April 15, 2025, Erie council and staff discussed the town’s affordable housing program and the status of two town-supported developments: the Cheeseman Residences and the Village at Coal Creek site. Staff outlined program goals, recent investments and trade-offs, and council agreed on a set of next steps that pause neighborhood-level design for the Village at Coal Creek while advancing feasibility work for open space, trails and a parks facility.
Sarah Narmela, the town’s planning and development director, opened the session on housing and introduced MJ Adams, the town’s affordable housing manager, who reviewed program origins, recent policy history and regional collaboration. Adams said the regional partnership has a goal of 12% of housing stock affordable by 2035 and noted current levels: about 5.6% across the region and roughly 1% in Erie. “The town of Erie, only 1% of our housing stock is affordable,” Adams said to illustrate the scale of the gap.
Adams provided financial snapshots the council discussed in detail. She reported the town and partners had invested about $3.3 million in public funds in the Cheeseman Residences (the majority from grants and ARPA, and roughly $155,000 from town general funds). For the Village at Coal…
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